kwik,


ford only approves of non dexcool based ELC. you will find texaco is on the list. its glycol based and does not use OAT like dexcool.

 

What about the Rotella?

 

You need to stick with what you have. Flushing the system does not make it ok to change the type of coolant. We sold the Connecticut DOT 100 new internationals with the 466. All came through with green antifreeze. The wizards at the state level wanted ELC (red stuff) to save on future cost. We flushed out the systems numerous times, blew air through the passages, removed block heaters, and tried to let them air dry overnight before installing the ELC (which was very much against my opinion) With in three years every single one that had the change done has come back for front cover gasket leaks, water pump seal leaks, and radiators that sprout numerous leaks. All of the trucks that came in after the initial 100, came with the ELC factory installed. Those units had very few coolant leak problems. The mixing of the two coolant types cause a chemical reaction that in time will destroy a cooling system. There is NO way that you can adequatley flush the system and install what ever you want, green get s green plus additives for its entiree life, red get s red, and gold gets gold.


Some of the T444E that started coming in with ELC from the factory developed oil cooler gasket leaks, and some front cover leaks.

Your owners manual will tell you to stick with the color you originally had. Do not mix the gold with the green, and that no additives are need with the gold coolant.

If you have already changed to a different color go and buy a manual for the engine, a complete front cover gasket set, a new oil pan, and an engine hoist to prepare yourself for a resealing job of the front cover.

 

I'm sticking with my green stuff and it's additives. I just don't want to run the risk of damage. There's too much uncertainty surrounding changing over. I'll play it safe.

 

Sorry, I just don't buy it.
I'm almost 2 years and 60,000+ miles into running the gold coolant in my 2000 that ran with green for about 80,000 miles. No leaks, no coolant related problems ever at 140,000+ miles.

I literally read 100's of posts here and on TDS about switching before I made the change, and have read 100's since. I have never heard of anyone who actually had a problem with a 7.3 related to changing coolant type.

 

I literally read 100's of posts here and on TDS about switching before I made the change, and have read 100's since. I have never heard of anyone who actually had a problem with a 7.3 related to changing coolant type.[/QUOTE]

I've literally worked on hundreds that have had the change to ELC (red) and saw first hand what happens and don't want to see people create a problem for themselves. It will get very expensive later on and for what, so you don't have to unscrew a petcock every couple of years?
The motorcraft gold is an ethylene glycol based coolant which is probably why you made out ok. Read your owners manual, it will tell you not to mix the two for a reason.

 

Can you elaborate? I JUST flushed and I mean FLUSHED out the old green stuff and filled with Shell Rotella ELC. There is not one trace of the old stuff left as far as I can tell, so it's just the Rotella in there now. I thought all was well in the world until I started reading this thread.

 

I switched last year to the Gold stuff. I also searched long and hard before taking what I considered a huge step and settled on the GL-05 coolant. The way I understand it the "gold" and "green" are compatable, but if the "green" is 20% or more of the antifreeze you need to use SCA's. Ford did not switch until 2002 I think, but the water pumps and gaskets/seals did not get revised. Have I exercised poor judgement and put my very expensive motor at risk?

 

The Rotella ELC is also a ethylene glycol based coolant. Rotella is considered a NOAT coolant, the gold is a HOAT coolant.
I agree you should not mix coolants.
ELC's can be a problem in the early powerstrokes, but I've still read nothing to indicate that the diesel ELC's will cause any problems in 99.5+ 7.3's.

Go over to TDS and post that diesel ELC's are no good in the 7.3.
But put your flame suit on first.

 

I think for me I will err on the side of caution eapecially having an early build 99 that doesn`t have the upgraded seals and gaskets! Green for me.

 

Thanks for your input Clux. I've got some more homework to do on the difference between NOAT and HOAT. I've read also that the later 7.3's are approved for ELC, so I tend to be ok with it in my truck.
I've been to TDS and read that whole thread, lot's of opinions LOL.
But no matter what you want to believe, it doesn't change what is FACT.
So going from what I have read from the engineers, the 99.5 on is ok with ELC, but the early ones need to stick with the green stuff.
Engineers are not always right either, so I'm still trying to learn all I can and make an educated decition.

 

The NOAT coolants are essentially HOAT (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology) coolants with Nitrite for added cylinder wall cavitation protection.

The fact that Shell sell a kit to convert existing coolant in diesel engines to ELC further convinces me that switching our engines shouldn't be a problem.

I agree that everyone should educate themselves and make their decision based on facts, not on what you or I or anyone else says on these boards.

These boards are a tremendous clearinghouse of experience. There are a lot of people here and at TDS who have switch to gold or one of several diesel ELC's over the almost 4 years that I have been regularly reading FTE and TDS. If there were problems associated with switching our 7.3's to either the gold or diesel ELC's, someone would be talking here or at TDS by now.

 

That's the truth!! One look at our stock fuel system will tell you that.

 

If your new antifreeze is ethylene glycol based you will be alright (although your ford owners manual says to not mix the two). It is when you switch from glycol based to the RED (dexcool, texaco extended life antifreeze, etc.) that you will have the problem. The o-ring gaskets were getting eaten up/pitted after the swithc from glycol based to red elc. As I stated earlier, the units that came trough from the factory with the Red elc had virtually no leaks. The leaks were only/mainly the units that were switched. I think navistar had a section in there TIPS book on this subject, I'll see if I can locate. None of this is an opinion but rather facts compiled over a 4-5yr period on a line set of over 250 identical vehicles with the only difference being the coolant type. If I could access the navistar web site from this computer I would copy the list of failures for you all to see. You'd probably want to get rid of your trucks though.

My idiot boss brought his new Audi in a couple days ago for a coolant leak. He topped it off wit h green antifreeze, (the car takes some kind of ELC not sure wich one). They wacked him $1100 because they saw that he mixed the two coolants. They had to change numerous o-rings in the cooling system because of the mix. The actual leak was another bill that was covered by warranty. It is not just the diesels that have this problem, it is all cooling systems. With all the junk out there, it is better to stick with what you have and have peace of mind.

Someone send me a link to the other site please.

 

I'm interested in reading those "tips" if you can at all get them.
I think your boss got took. Those plastic housings were going to leak no matter what. I work on VW and Audi all day long and replace coolant flanges pretty near every day. What really kills them is the valve cover leaks down on the o-ring and the oil swells up the rubber and ruins the seal. Maybe the mixed coolant would have done the same eventually but the oil gets the job done first. They use Autobahn red coolant.